Radio time signal clock correcting means



Nov. 30, 1954 Q E: B E ETAL 2,695,492

RADIO TIME SIGNAL CLOCK CORRECTING MEANS Filed April 7, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet l FIG- l INVENTORS CLINTON E. LARRABEE CARL T. YOUNG gyzfAkhZff ATTORNEY Nov. 30, 1954 c. E. LARRABEE ETAL 2,695,492

RADIO TIME SIGNAL CLOCK CORRECTING MEANS Filed April 7, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS CLINTON E. LARRABEE 'IG 2 BY CARL T. YOUNG ATTORNEY NOV. 30, 1954 c E. LARRABEE ETAL 2,695,492

RADIO TIME SIGNAL CLOCK CORRECTING MEANS Filed April '7, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG- 3- INVENTORS CLINTON E- LARRABEE CARL T- YOUNG ATTORNEY Nov. 30, 1954 c. E. LARRABEE arm. 2,695,492

RADIO TIME SIGNAL CLOCK CORRECTING MEANS Filed April 7, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG- 4 6 L 46" CONTACT PTs 22.4

INVENTORS F'IG E CLlNTON E. LARRABEE CARL T.YOUNG By f? ATTORN Y Nov. 30, 1954 c. E. LARRABEE arm. 2,695,492 RADIO TIME SIGNAL CLOCK CORRECTING MEANS Filed April 7, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS CLINTON -E. LARRABEE CARL T. YOUNG BY K AT ORMD 1954 c. E. LARRABEE ETAL 2,695,492

RADIO TIME SIGNAL CLOCK CORRECTING MEANS Filed April 7, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 8 II N INVENTORS United States Patent M RADIO TllVlE SIGNAL CLOCK CORRECTING MEANS Clinton E. Larrabee and Carl T. Young, Binghamton, N. Y., assignors to International Business Machines gorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New ork Application April 7, 1953, Serial No. 347,313

10 Claims. (Cl. 58-35) This invention relates to clocks which are synchronized with an accurate time standard by means of radio time signals, such as the official time signals of the National Bureau of Standards Station, WWV.

One of the problams involved in the use of these signals is the interference caused by static. This is particularly troublesome when the station at which the signals are received is at some distance from the source. Fading is another problem for all but nearby receivers.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved clock synchronized by radio time signals.

A further object is to provide a clock synchronized by radio time signals, the synchronizing means being protected against false operation caused by static or signal variation.

Still another object is to provide a clock with improved means responsive to radio time signals, for eliminating at frequent intervals accumulated errors caused by inherent inaccuracy of the clock mechanism.

At the present time the WWV signal is a tone modulated signal of two alternately occurring frequencies, namely, 600 cycles and 440 cycles per second. The 600 cycle signal begins exactly on the hour and continues for 4 minutes. This is followed by one minute of silence and at exactly minutes past the hour the 440 cycle signal starts and continues for 4 minutes. After another gap of one minute of silence the 600 cycle signal begins again at exactly minutes past the hour. This sequence continues 24 hours a day.

It is evident that only the beginning and end of these signals identify exact times. The beginning of a signal is not suitable for use to set the clock by, because at the instant of beginning it cannot be ascertained with certainty whether it is the beginning of the signal or a burst of static. The length characteristic of the time signal cannot be utilized at the beginning of the signal to identify it as a time signal.

A particular object of the invention is, therefore, to test radio time signals by duration and strength and to condition clock resetting means for a resetting operation if the signal meets the test.

Another object is to test radio time signals for strength and duration and to utilize the final portion of a signal which qualifies in both of these respects to set the clock.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a master clock embodying the invention, substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same clock, substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the clock, substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the signal timer.

Fig. 5 is a timing chart.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the timer, substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram.

By way of illustration of the invention it is shown embodied in a master clock of the type shown in Larrabee patent, 1,878,931. This is a clock of good accuracy of the kind used for regulating secondary clocks. When well adjusted it will keep time within a few seconds a day. Bymeans of the present invention such a clock can be 2,695,492 Patented Nov. 30, 1954 made to keep time indefinitely with a variation not substantially greater than /2 second from the time established by standard time signals. The clock shown in the drawing can be restored to true time if it is not more than 10 seconds slow or fast. If it has a greater error at the time the correction signal is received the correction mechanism operates idly each correction cycle until the clock is reset by hand.

The clock comprises two plates 10 and 12 united by pillars such as 14 into a rigid frame. Mounted in bearings in these plates is a seconds shaft 16 having a seconds hand 18 secured to the front end and a pinion 20 fixed near its rear end. The pinion 20 is driven by a spring 22 through gearing comprising a large gear 24 fixed to a shaft 26 and meshing with a small gear 28 fixed to a shaft 30, which also has secured upon it a large gear 32 meshing with pinion 20.

Revolvably mounted on the seconds shaft is a unit consisting of a barrel 34, an escape wheel 36, a ratchet wheel 38, and a serrated clutch disc having 60 teeth. A clutch lever arm 42 secured by a hub 44 on the seconds shaft 16 carries a ball 46 which engages the clutch disc 40 under the pressure of a spring 48. Thereby the escape wheel and the seconds shaft are normally retained in the same angular relationship, but this can be changed by slipping the clutch ball over the clutch disc.

A verge 50 mounted by its shaft 52 in adjusting plates 10:: and 12a on the respective side plates 10 and 12 coacts with the escape wheel 36 in the usual manner. The verge shaft 52 has adjustably mounted upon it a pendulum arm 54.

Resetting mechanism Also aifixed to the hub 44 is a heart cam 60. Adjacent the heart cam is a slide bar 62 having an elongated guide opening 64 whereby it is slidably mounted on a grooved bushing 66 fixed to the plate 10. One end of the slide bar is attached by a pin 67 to the shaft 68 of a solenoid 70, which will be referred to as the correction solenoid. At the outer end of the slide bar is a pin 72 which is adapted to engage the heart cam when the solenoid shaft is pulled to the right and, by sliding into the notch of the heart cam, to position the seconds shaft in an exact position, namely, the th second position in this case.

Coacting with the ratchet wheel 38 (Fig. 2) is a rock lever 71 pivoted on a stationary shaft 73 and having an arm 75 with an ear 77 adapted to engage the ratchet wheel when the rock lever is tilted clockwise by a spring 79. This occurs whenever the resetting slide 60 moves to the right in Fig. 2 and its pin 81 releases an arm 83 of rock lever 71. The rock lever prevents backward movement of the escape wheel 36 if the seconds shaft is reset counterclockwise from a fast position. Forward movement of the escape wheel when the seconds shaft is reset from a slow position is prevented by whichever arm of the verge is engaging the escape wheel at the time.

An extension of pin 67, which articulates slide 62 to shaft 68, closes a knockofi contact 87 each time the correction solenoid 70 operates.

The main spring shaft 26, governed by the escapement mechanism, turns at the rate of one revolution per hour. On the front end of the shaft 26 is revolvably mounted a unit consisting of a hub 74, two cams 76 and 78, and a gear 80. This unit is driven by the shaft 26 through a spring friction spider 82. Through an idler gear 84 revolvably mounted on a stationary shaft 86 the gear drives at one revolution per hour a gear 88 fixed to the minutes shaft 90, which carries the minutes hand 92. The hours hand 94, carried by shaft 96, is driven at one revolution in 12 hours by gears 98 and 100. The minute and hour shaft assembly is held in place on the seconds shaft 16 by a spring clip 102 secured to the gear 88 and engaging a stationary grooved bushing 104.

When the minutes and hours hands are manually set the friction spider 82 slips on the face of cam 78. When the seconds shaft is reset by the heart cam mechanism the minutes and hours hands are driven proportionately by the turning of shaft 26.

The earns 76 and 78 control so-called hour contacts 9a and 9b through a conventional lever assembly of the type shown in Larrabee patent, 1,878,931. At 58 45 of each hour the horizontal arm of lever 106 drops off 'the' stepbf carii"78zfnd"fl1'elever is rocked by spring 108 step of cam 76 and lever 106 moves down bodily to allow contact 9a to open and contact 9b to close. About three minutes elaften :the clever: assembly F106;;i110. is traised to OPfiIlt-COHtEiCtQb.

I The q'clockr-spring 7:222: is. electrically wound 1 by aizsolenoid xIt12-' .(Eig=. 2). Zlhe-shaft- 114: of the'solenoid vis connefetedi to: one-arm 1-16 ofra bell .Crankzleverllfi -:(Fig. l 'm'ounted'aon amrocking:pivot91120. Il'hew other; arm c122 carries arspring j;influencemodog 124 iwhichmengages a ratchet wheel 126 fixed to the hub 128 of the spring an- "chorwplate' lw. The-aw-i'ndingisolenoid receives an im- -pulseneachim=inute and 'ts shaftxpulls' the tdogslz-z'to the a rightxone atooth= on the-(ratchet :wheel 126. When v-thefimpulsevends-a: spring-1321-pu1ls= the zbell: crank lever 118v to therl'eft anith'e dog rotates theiratchet wheel; A? retaining :pawl 133' holdsmhetra'tchet wheel in its advanced position.

' Thekwind'ing impulselcomes from :a-pairt of contacts 134 actuated by a lever assembly comprisingtwo' 'levers 136 and 138. l he formeris pivoted at letlion a' frame plate 1'42iwhile the -latter is pivotedat- 14410 lever 11-36. The right ends of levers 1236 a 'nd i ISS bear-on a double-lobed -cam 1=46i Theshaft l 48 ot ca1n 146 is driven-at onehalf revotution per m 'ute by a pinion l50 engaging gear 32. "Theipittion 1504s ire'e on shaft l l g bu't drives-the-shaft through ag'coup'l ijn'g" comprising a-n arm I52 on the pinion, astepped d i'st z -i54 fix' ed to -th'e shaftgand aspring 156 yieldingly holding' the arm 'ag'ainst -the step of the disc. 'T-his construction avoids da'mage --if --the seconds shaft is -r'e'se't backward'at a time when the step of the cam 146 has -j'us't' p'assed the' e'nds of the levers lis and lfitir The right 'end of' -leve'r -138is a little shortertharrthatof lever T36 and drops off of a step of cam 146 first each minute." A spring 158 rocks -le've'r 238-to+'elose-contact 134. Shortly afiterward the arm 1 36 dropsandtthe contact-opens. The closure. of; contact 134 @sends a a winding impulse to =sole- -noi d= ll2, thr ough a--c-ircuitz;which is- -not-shown in the drawing.

Signal timer 1 In using radiotime-ssignalsfor correcting-clocks it is necessary toavoidresponses to' static. Porthepurpose of distinguishingjhe tourminute WWV' -time-isignals a special 5--rninute timer show-nin -E-igs. 4 and6 is used. This timer is set int -operation by the beginnirig of-thersignal and causes'the signal to bfe testedtagainnear the end of the four minute per-iod Ifthereceiver is being energized by asignal-zof suflicient strength; at this time a clock -correctionactionis initiated.

- The-signal timer is. driven-by-- aisynchronousmotorltl. The output: shaft: of-sthe motor 'drivesgthrough gears 162, asserrated clutchflise 164wontinuouslyat-'=the rate of-one revolution in five minutes. A "c'am" discZ-166 is.-rotatably mounted *on-the-shaft 168 jot-the c'lutch:disc. Pivoted :on the camcdise is a'iclutch dog l17 =which isilrged by aspring 172cm theidirectionio cause-its eat: @74 to engage the:serrated clutch rdis'c. 164. In the;.:norrnal;;stationaryt condition;oftthe:camirtheclutchvdog isuheld disengagedby a detent:'176;3which hasian 'ea-r i78tbearingt-against a =radially projecting arm 180 of thetclutoh tdogs The'detent is mountedon a stationary;pivot 182i.and-.iur-ged clockwise by a spring 184 connectedcto its armrll86: 'In its detented condition 'the cam; disc-aisurgedecounterclockwisez by a roller 183 on a' 1lever '190 -pivoted: a'trsl92f' andurged in counterclockwise di'r'ection'tby-a spring'l94. As-the-timer cam=-is= approaching the enditof a revolution. the'roller rides over a--hump'196'-'=on. a carn plat'ev i98. attached to the side of the cam'tdiso 166 and completes the movement of the cam disc to its -index"position,'"afterthe clutch dog 170has. been disengaged by' detent 176.

-The clutchdisengaging detent' 176 is moved to clear the clutch dogby a mechanismoperated by a tone magnet 200,- thati's to say,-a magnet op'erate'db the radio s'ignal. The armature 202 of this -rnagnetis oted at 2ll l-and has an arm" 206 bearing-lat its -en'd a pivotally mounted rocking -sector '208 having a serrated edge adapted to engage-the serrated periphery or the clutch' disc "1642 When the tone magnet isenergized the serrated sector is moved against the clutch disc and beginsto rotate clockwise An arm 210 having =a-rigid but adjustable relation to the serrated se'ctor' 208 Qthen engages the detent 176 and-lifts it clear of the arm 1800f the-clutch dog. The dogengages the'clutch-disc 164 and cant 166 begins arevolutionwvhich will be completed in five minutes. At this time the signal energized. The detent willttherefore be in position to disengage the clutch dog and'the cam disc will be latched up in its index position, as the roller 1S8 rolls down the back of the hump 196. A rise-213 of the cam disc closes the contacts briefly, but the resulting energization of the tone magnet atthis time is of-no-significance;

The cam disc 166 operates two sets of spring contacts. The contacts 212 control the circuit of the-tone magnet. These are closed "when the cam disc is'in its'stationany-pm 'sition"buttopen 'shortly'afterthe carritdis'c begins to revolve, so'that the'toothed sector"208 willbewitlidrawn from the serrated clutch disc by the de-energiz'ation of the tone magnet: They areclosed .again-laten in-the cycle of the timer by a ris"215, for a purpose to bede'scribed.

The second set ofcontacts.214barandl214a are, respectively, for testing the tone near the end of the timing period andrtor transmitting'the resetting signalg'if'rthe; tone is found toshave suflicient-astrength ati the: time: it isstestfed. The operationv and :timing ofathese fCOIItHCtSJWiHQbE EX- plained more fully in connectionrwitlnthevcirouiti -diagram.

The radio time :signals arereceivedby atpretuned r'adio receiver of conventionalrdesignpthe CilC ilZiOfiWhiCh'fiSInOt sh0wn.- When theslgnal is-on;:-thet=radro receiver-produces a DC. signal at-its output terminals.

' Operation'and circuit The operation of the-:device invresponse-to; various-conditions will nowz be 2 described. )3 Thei descrfiptiomwill; first take up the normalt' icaseaof agradioisignah ofrsufficient "the-hour. This signalrends atr59'minutesiandifitthe'nlock is not more than IOrsecondsslow oraiast'itis correctdio the 59th minute.:position,,bh setting:the.=seconds;hanttto "the eOth'second position.

*The, signalis received/by :a'pretuned radio repels $1216 I which, when a:signal pisrb'eing -received,;;causes ari-"salternating current. to flow in the'primarycoilf of'a itransformer 218. A- full 'wave' rectifiensecondary circuit "produces a D. cmvoltageacross a filten'condenserr220.When contact 212 is: closed current-twill :flow "thI'OUghi'ihB :coilz'of tone-magnetf200; If; thesig'nalisistrongtenough the-armature 2tl2twill'-be:attractedLandsecmr 208rwill be engaged with the serrated clutch disc 164. A'bracke't 222Lon arn1 =296ltransferst the center spring ofta'pain of contacts; 224a, 1224b, openingthenormally closed contact 224lzrandclos- :ing the normally open contact5224a.

-At the time .thet440 eyclezsignal: begins at'SS." IOOtfJJtsee Fig.v 5') 'ithetcontacfs 212 areic-losedsandime :rectified-signal current passestthroughither tone .magnet'a 200. Thearmature 202 rotates clockwise :and :theserratedwector 208z'engages the constantly running clutch dis'clz'lt lslt'lthegsignal continues in: sufficient stren'gth,-'- atn-the end" of three seconds-the arm 210 lifts the-detentfl 'clearof the-clutch dog' arm ISO-and :the clutch engagesfl A't '-55 07= =the contact 212 opens and the tone-magnet is de*energized; allowing- -thetoothed sectoi 208 todrop clear ot the ic'lutch "disc. I The times-camcontinues to rotate.

' At 58 45'" the contact points 9a ofthe master' clock close. At 58" 48 '-the contactpoints 212 'close'again and thesignal tone, which is still present; causes tone mag'net '200-to become energized. Gontactpoint's 224zt elose=and 5224b openf At -58 54' contact points;2l'bclosettoitest the strength of the; signal? Ir'i the case assumed thehignal is still of suflicient strength at this time zindbontacts 224b remain-open; there is no circuit-through' the-pick up coil 230 of relay'R3. 1 At 58' 59" thecont=ac-t points 214a and 214b-transfer; so that='the points' flmzt are closed ll This completes the following circuit:

From"'-terminal 240-*through -hour-contact "9a; contact points 214a, normally closed point =R3c the pick up'coil 231 of latch relay1R1; tonecontact 224a',*to-'the'ter-"minal 242. Relay R1 is energized, contac-tsii Rlc"closeparrdihe circuit branches through-these contacts-,--normally closed contacts R20 of relay R2, the coil of the 'correction'rpagnet 70 to the terminal 2425*The correctiommagnet is energized and the-slidd62 executes a motio'n totth'e right. If 'the seconds hand" is *eitherslow' or -fa'st byan' amount not more than 10 second's,--'th'e resetting pii'1 72'- engages the correspondingourved surfaee ofithe heart'cam fifl and This occurs' during the th seeond. f The movement of the slide to the right causes pin 85 to close knock-off contacts 87, completing a circuit through the pick up coil 232 of relay R2. The normally closed contact R opens, breaking the circuit of the correction magnet 70 and causing this magnet to become de-energized. The correction slide is then restored to its normal left position by return spring 233.

At 59 15" the hour contacts 9b close and contacts 9a open. This completes a circuit from the terminal 240 through the contacts 9b, through each of the latch trip coils 234, 236, 238, in parallel, to the terminal 242. The two latch relays R1 and R2 which were energized are thereby restored to their normal state.

The second condition which will be considered Will be the fading of the signal after the timer has been started. It will be assumed that at 58' 54", when the contact points 214b close, the signal strength is below the minimum required and contact points 2241) are closed. A circuit is then completed from terminal 240 through contacts 9a, contacts 214k pick up coil 230 of relay R3, contacts 22411, to the terminal 242, latching up the relay R3. The contacts R open and when the contacts 214a close at 58' 59" the circuit is not completed through the pick up coil 231 of relay R1. This is true even if the signal should have improved enough at the time contacts 214:: closed to have transferred the contacts 224a to the closed position. There is no resetting action in this case. At 59' 15 when contacts 9b close the latch trip coil 234 of relay R3 is energized and this relay is restored to its normal condition. This defective timing signal is passed by and the clock awaits the timing signal which follows at minutes in the next hour.

A third condition now to be considered is that of a signal which starts too weak to energize the tone magnet 200 at the starting time, but which later becomes strong enough to energize the tone magnet. Assume that at 56 minutes past the hour the signal becomes strong enough to energize the tone magnet and start the timer. The contacts 214b will close one minute late, at 59' 54 in this case. This is after the signal has terminated and the tone magnet is de-energized. The contacts 224]) are closed and a circuit is completed through the hour contact 9a, contact 214b, pick up coil 230 of relay R3, contact 224b, terminal 242, latching up relay R3. When contacts 214a close contacts R30 are open, as well as contacts 224a. The pick up coil 231 of relay R1 is therefore not energized, the relay R1 remains unlatched, and there is no resetting action.

Only a signal which starts with sutficient strength to energize the tone magnet and which has sufiicient strength from test time at 58 54" past 58' 59" can start a correction cycle. If it fails in any of these respects the clock awaits the signal one hour later. One signal in one or two days is actually enough to keep a master clock within the resetting range of 10 seconds either way. The limits of resetting mentioned are merely those of the illustrative clock shown and are not in any sense a limitation of the invention.

While the invention has been shown as embodied in an escapement type of clock, it can be applied to other kind; of clocks as well, such as synchronous motor driven cloc s.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Radio time signal controlled means for correcting clocks, comprising a normally inactive timer, a radio receiver, means controlled by a signal received by said receiver for starting said timer, clock resetting means, and means controlled jointly by said timer and a signal received by said receiver for activating said clock resetting means.

2. Radio time signal controlled means for correcting clocks, comprising a normally inactive timer, a radio receiver, means controlled by a signal received by said receiver for starting said timer, electromagnetically operated clock resetting means, and a circuit for the electromagnet of said clock resetting means, including circuit closing means controlled by said timer and other circuit closing means controlled by a signal received by said receiver.

3. In a radio signal controlled device for correcting clocks, means for mechanically resetting a clock to a predetermined time, means including an electromagnet for operating said resetting means, a circuit for said electromagnet, signal started timer, means controlled by said timer for testing the strength of the signal at a definite time interval after the start of said timer, and means dependent upon the result of said test for closing said circuit.

4. In a radio signal controlled clock correcting device, a signal started timer, contact means controlled by the signal and including normally closed contacts closed when the signal is below a certain level and normally open contacts closed when the signal is above said level, a fadeout circuit including a current responsive device and said normally closed contacts, a correction circuit including a current responsive device, said normally open contacts, and normally closed contacts adapted to be opened by said fadeout circuit current responsive device, means controlled by said timer for first testing said fadeout circuit for a predetermined interval and then testing said correction circuit, and means controlled by the current responsive device of said correction circuit for resetting the clock.

5. In a radio signal controlled clock correcting device, a signal started timer, means controlled by said timer for testing the strength of the signal at a predetermined time after the start of said timer, and means controlled by the result of said test for resetting the clock.

6. A clock correcting device as described in claim 3, characterized by the fact that said test of the signal is timed to occur near the end of the radio signal which started the timer.

7. In a clock correcting device adapted to be controlled by radio time signals of definite duration occurring repeatedly within a given time interval, clock resetting means, a signal started timer, means controlled by said timer for initiating an operation of said resetting means, means controlled by the timer and operated in dependence upon the strength of the signal for preventing an operation of said resetting means, and means controlled by the clock for limiting the operation of said resetting means to once during said interval.

8. In a timekeeping apparatus regulated by radio signals of definite duration transmitted at predetermined times; a clock mechanism including time indicating means and means to operate the same normally within a limit of error; resetting means to move said time indicating means to a definite time indication; a radio signal receiver; a normally inactive signal timer; current operated means responsive to a signal received by said receiver for starting said signal timer; test means controlled by said signal timer, to test the condition of said current operated means near the end of a time period, measured by said signal timer, equal to the duration of the radio time signal; and means controlled in accordance with the result of said test for initiating an operation of said resetting means.

9. In a timekeeping apparatus regulated by radio signals of definite duration transmitted at predetermined times; a clock mechanism including time indicating means and means to operate the same normally within a limit of error; resetting means to move said time indicating means to a definite time indication; a radio signal receiver; a normally inactive signal timer; current operated means responsive to a signal receiver by said receiver for starting said signal timer; test means controlled by said signal timer, to test the condition of said current operated means near the end of a time period, measured by said signal timer, equal to the duration of the radio time signal; and means controlled in accordance with the result of said test and dependent upon a continuation of said signal after said test for a short interval, for initiating an operation of said resetting means.

10. In a timekeeping apparatus regulated by radio signals of definite duration transmitted at predetermined times; a clock mechanism including time indicating means and means to operate the same normally within a limit of error; resetting means including an electromagnet for moving said time indicating means to a definite time indication; a radio signal receiver; a normally inactive signal timer; current operated means responsive to a signal 

